For Disabled People, the Elderly and their Carers in the UK

Transfer from DLA to PIP - A guide

People receiving Disability Living Allowance will be invited to apply for the Personal Independence Payment which is for
people who were born after 8 April 1948
and are aged 16 or over. DLA is ending for people who were born after 8 April 1948 and are aged 16 or over.

This will happen even if you have been awarded an indefinite or long-term award

You’ll continue to get DLA until the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) writes to tell you about when it will end. The letter will invite you to apply for a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and tell you what to do next. DLA is different to PIP. You won’t get PIP automatically because you are already getting DLA.

Once you get your letter you’ll have 28 days from the date on the letter to decide whether you want to make a claim for PIP

As you won’t be able to choose to keep DLA, it’s worth finding out about PIP.

Other benefits or services you or your carer get, such as Motability or Carer’s Allowance, may also end or change.

You can find out more information about other changes you must tell the DWP about at the end of this page.

Important

You will not be affected by this change and will continue to receive DLA if

• you were born on or before 8 April 1948; or

• you are under the age of 16.

Where a child under 16 receives DLA, they will be invited to claim PIP when they are approaching, or have just turned 16. No action needs to be taken until you recieve your invite to claim PIP.

PIP helps with some of the extra costs caused by long-term ill health or a disability.
You could get between £21.80 and £139.75 a week.* The rate depends on how your condition affects you, not the condition itself.

You’ll need an assessment to work out the level of help you get. You will normally be contacted while you’re getting PIP to see if your needs have changed and to look at the amount you get.

* These are the 2015-2016 amounts. Benefit rates are reviewed every year.

What will happen if I claim PIP?

1. When you get your letter, read all the information to decide if you want to make a PIP claim

If you choose to make a claim, call the DWP to start the process and you will be sent you a form

2. Fill in the form and return it to the DWP with your supporting evidence

3. You may be asked to attend a face-to-face consultation

A decision will be made about your claim.

Eligibility

PIP is for people who:

• are aged between 16 and 64; or
• are receiving DLA and were aged 64 or younger on 8 April 2013 (the day PIP was introduced) and are now aged 65 or over.
DLA is ending for people who were born after 8 April 1948, or reach the age of 16.

To get PIP you must:

• currently be in, and have been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years
• have the right to live in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
• not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant).

There are some exceptions to these conditions for members of the armed forces and their families or if you’re living in or come from another European Economic Area country or Switzerland.

You can get PIP whether you’re in work or not.

Your disability or health condition

Your health condition or disability doesn’t have to be permanent but must be expected to last for at least 12 months in total. PIP is made up of 2 components (parts).

You may get the daily living part if you need help with things like:
• preparing food
• eating and drinking
• washing and bathing
• managing your toilet needs
• dressing and undressing
• reading
• communicating
• managing medicines or treatments
• making decisions about money
• engaging with other people.You may get the mobility part if you need help with:
• planning and following a journey
• moving around.

How you’re assessed

A health professional will look at your application and any other evidence you send to help DWP work out the level of help you need. Most people will be asked to attend a face-to-face consultation.
Face-to-face consultation

If you need a face-to-face consultation, you’ll usually hear from us about 4 weeks after sending your form. A face-to-face consultation is a meeting with a health professional in an assessment centre or possibly in your home. It will last around an hour. The health professional will ask questions about your ability to carry out activities and ask you for more information about how your condition affects your daily life. You can take another person with you to the consultation if you would find it helpful.

The decision from the DWP

Whether or not your assessment includes a face-to-face consultation, you’ll usually get a decision 3 weeks after your assessment.

If you don’t agree with the decision you can ask for it to be looked at again – your decision letter will tell you how

How is PIP worked out?

PIP is made up of 2 parts:

• daily living – for help participating in everyday life;
• mobility – for help with getting around.

You can be paid either the daily living part or the mobility part on its own, or both at the same time. Each part is paid at two different levels: a ‘standard rate’ and an ‘enhanced rate’. The rate you are paid depends on whether your ability to carry out daily living or mobility activities is ‘limited’ or ‘severely limited’. This is tested under the PIP assessment.

For each activity, there is a list of ‘descriptors’. Descriptors are sentences which describe how much support, and the type of support, you need to do the activity. Each descriptor has a point score.

The number of points you get will depend on how much help you need. Your scores for the activities are added together to give a total for each part.
You will get the most points
if you can’t do the activity at all. You will get some points if you need special equipment, or if you need prompting, supervision or help from another person to do the activity.

You won’t get any points if you can do the activity without any help.
If your total score for the daily living activities is between 8 and 11 you’ll be awarded standard rate. If your score is 12 or more you’ll be awarded the enhanced rate.
This is the same for the mobility activities.

What you’ll get

PIP is usually paid every 4 weeks. It’s made up of 2 parts. Whether you get one or both of these depends on how your condition affects you.